Immediately after college, she worked as a law clerk and studied legal research. She also worked in the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office.[5] While serving in the prosecutors' office, she worked on business aspects as she held the position of Director of Budget and Finance. Fudge has also worked as an auditor for the estate tax department and has occasionally served as a visiting judge and as a chief referee for arbitration.[6]

Early political career

Fudge was the mayor of Warrensville Heights, a middle-class and mostly African-American suburb of Cleveland, from January 2000 until November 18, 2008.[7][8] Her 1999 campaign was her first run for any elected office. She was the town's first female and first African-American mayor.[9]

Caucus Memberships

Political campaigns

2008

After Jones' unexpected death on August 20, 2008, Fudge was selected as Jones' replacement on the November ballot by a committee of local Democratic leaders. This virtually assured her of election in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district.[11][12] Fudge won the November 4 general election, defeating Republican Thomas Pekarek with 85 percent of the vote.[13] She was unopposed in a November 18 special election for the balance of Jones' fifth term, and won with less than 9,000 votes cast.[14][15] She was sworn in on November 19, 2008.[16][17]

2012

Fudge defeated a couple of minor candidates in the Democratic primary, and ran unopposed in the general election.

2014 midterm election comments

During a presentation at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 44th Annual Legislative Conference in September 2014 Rep. Fudge commented on the need for black voters to get out and "vote". Rep. Fudge said, "If we don't vote, believe it or not they are going to file articles of impeachment against our President. If we don't vote, the street in front of your house is not going to get fixed. If we don't vote, we're going to have hungry children across this country".[19]

She also predicted GOP members of Congress would "try to make our president an illegitimate president" with claims that he isn't born in the United States, wasn't smart enough to go to Harvard, and ignores the laws.[20]

"We will have two more years of that foolishness if they take back the Senate and get a few more seats in the House," said Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat, who predicted voters "will be standing in the line waiting for the doors to open" at the polls when they hear what members of her group have to say.[20]

Rep. Fudge, during the Congressional Black Caucus town hall meeting chastised voters for complaining and reminded them the Congressional Black Caucus was fighting for them. Rep. Fudge commented; "The black caucus fights for you every day. Even when you won’t fight for yourself. We fight for you. Whether it’s immigration or education, whether it’s food stamps or housing, we fight for you every day. So my message to you is to contain your complaining." [21]

Personal life

Fudge is a past president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, serving from 1996 to 2000,[23][24] and is a co-chair of the sorority's National Social Action Commission.[25][26] In 2003, she was a member of the Shaker Heights Alumni Association's Hall of Fame Class.[2]

↑ 9.09.1"About the Mayor". City of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. Archived from the original on June 2, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2008.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>